Wooden last



May 8, 1951 c. A. DAVIDSON ET AL WOODEN LAST Filed Jan. 17, 1949 Patented May 8, 1951 OFFICE WOODEN LAST Carl Albert Davidson and Harald Werklund, Simrishamn, Sweden Application January 17, 1949, Serial No. 71,238 In Sweden March 6, 1947 4 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a wooden last which is composed of several pieces of wood having their fibres extending longitudinally of the last, and

the invention is characterized by the fact that a piece of wood forming the sole portion of the last is made of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) or other wood having substantially similar hardness and Stability of form or wood that has been impregnated with synthetic resin, while the rest of the last consists of one or more, preferably two, pieces of suitable wood, for instance beech, the annual rings of the pieces of wood being inclined alternatingly in opposite directions at an angle of about 45 to a longitudinal vertical plane through the last.

On account of this construction the wooden last according to the invention has many advantages over the wooden lasts hitherto known. These advantages consist in the fact that, by impregnation with synthetic resin in a manner known per se, smaller pieces of wood may be given a greater hardness and stability of form throughout than has the natural material and are used at such places only of the last, where these qualities are necessary, or there may be used at those places smaller amounts of hornbeam, maple or similar wood, which is of a higher quality, but more difiicult to obtain, while cheap and easily obtainable wood, for instance beech, is used forthe other parts of the last, the stability of form and the solidity of the last-mentioned parts of the last being greatest if they are com posed in the above manner of two or more wood pieces glued together.

The invention will be described more in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating an embodiment of, the invention. In the drawing Fig. 1 shows a side view of a last for a ladys shoe, to which the invention has been applied.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the last from behind and from in front, respectively.

Referring to the drawing, the last consists of three pieces of wood having different qualities. The sole portion of the last consists either of a piece of wood i impregnated with synthetic resin in a manner known per se, or of a piece of hornbeam or other wood having substantially similar hardness and stability of form. This sole portion 1 extends up to a plane 3 which approximately coincides with the upper side of the toe of the last. To this piece 1 there is glued a piece of suitable, cheap and easily obtainable wood, for instance beech, which piece 4 forms an intermediate layer of the last, and on top of this piece 4 there is glued another piece of suitable, cheap and easily obtainable wood, for instance beech, which piece 5 forms the upper portion of the cam of the last. In the last-mentioned piece '5 the usual leather top piece 6 is put on the top edge of the cam.

The three pieces of wood I', l, 5 are glued together with their fibres extending in the same direction, viz. longitudinally of the last, because such a direction of the fibres has proved to give the last the best qualities of solidity and treatment.

Th three pieces of wood I, 4, 5 have different qualities. The material impregnated with synthetic resin, which is expensive and moreover is most easily impregnated in smaller dimensions, or the relatively expensive hornbeam, maple or the like which is nowadays difficultto obtain in larger dimensions, is used only where necessary, viz. for the piece of wood I forming the sole and toe portion of the last. Th rest of the last may be made without disadvantages of the cheaper material, for instance beech. This rest of the last, i. e. the pieces 4 and 5 could very well be made in one piece, but the qualities of solidity of the last are considerably enhanced if, as shown in the drawing, this part of the last is divided into two parts 4 and 5 with an intermediate glue joint I at a suitable place between the heel 8 of the last and the upper side of the cam of the last, it being then possible to make the two pieces of wood 4 and 5 both of cheap wood, which pieces, however, preferably have difierent qualities in other respects. It has proved that the cam portions of the usual lasts, in which portions the annual rings of the wood used to be disposed at an angle of about 45", have a tendency of cracking along such a ring. This is avoided according to the invention by the fact that the pieces of wood 4 and 5 have different qualities in that respect that the annual rings of the two pieces of wood form an angle of preferably with each other, the annual rings of the two pieces of wood forming preferably, in a known manner, an angle of about 45 to the longitudinal vertical plane of the last (said vertical plane is shown in Figs. 2 and 3). Thereby the solidity of the last is considerably enhanced.

In Figs. 1 and 3 the sizes of the pieces of wood needed for manufacturing a blank for a wooden last according to the invention, is indicated by means of broken lines, For making the last shown in the drawing there is needed from the expensive and superior wood the small piece of wood only,- which is indicated by means of broken lines 9. From the cheap and easily obtainable wood there are needed two pieces of different sizes indicated by means of broken lines [0 and I I, respectively. As indicated above these two pieces of wood differ from each other in that respect that the directions of the annual rings are different.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters.

Patent is:

1. A wooden last composed of a plurality of pieces of wood having their fibers extending 1ongitudinally of the last, one said piece of wood forming the sole portion of the last being hornbeam, the remainder of the last consisting'of'at,

least one piece of a softer wood, the annual rings of the pieces of Wood being inclined alternatingly in opposite directions at an angle of about 45- to,

a longitudinal vertical plane through the last.

2. A wooden last comprising several pieces of wood, said pieces of wood having their fibers extendingplongitudinally. of the last, one said piece of wood forming the sole portion of the last being made of a hard woodhaving stability of form, the other piece of wood forming the last being of a softer wood and having theannual rings of the pieces of wood being inclined alternatingly in opposite directions at an angle of about 45 to a longitudinal vertical planethrorugh the last.

4 I 3. A wooden last comprised of several pieces of wood in juxtaposed position and having the fibers thereof extending longitudinally of the last, one of said pieces of wood forming the sole portion of the last being impregnated with a synthetic resin for increasing the hardness thereof, said impregnated piece having substantial hardness and stability of form, the other pieces of wood being noneimpregnated and softer, the annual rings of the pieces of wood being inclined alternatingly in opposite directions at an angle of about 45 to a longitudinal vertical plane through the last.

4'.A wooden last comprising several pieces of wood, said pieces of wood having their fibers extending longitudinally of the last, one said piece of wood forming the sole portion of the last being made of wood having stability of form and substantial hardness, the other piece forming the last being of softer wood and having the annual rings of the pieces of wood inclined alternatingly in opposite directions at an angle of about 45 to a longitudinal vertical plane through the last. CARL ALBERT DAVIDSON. HARALD WERKLUND.

No references cited. 

